Sanctification is the process of God shaping us more in His image everyday. Our sanctification is dependent on many things: prayer, scripture reading and Christian community. However, few tools of sanctification are more synonymous with Christianity than church. Not only does church bring us closer to God, but it lifts our spirits. As the 19th century evangelist Dwight L. Moody said, "Church attendance is as vital to a disciple as a transfusion of rich, healthy blood to a sick man." As such, it is important for all believers (and non-believers) to attend church as often as possible. The question now is "What should we look for in a church?"
Finally, and maybe most importantly, the church you choose should preach sound doctrine. Above all, if a church does not preach salvation through Christ alone, run as far as you can because it isn't a church. Beyond that, doctrine is pretty much just personal preference. However, this is where most "church hunters" get caught up. Each denomination has its own answers to questions due to its interpretation of the Bible. The best way one can sort through these is to look at the national stances that each church takes. Read your Bible and pray for God to guide you through the scripture so that you can have your own interpretation. This will allow you to find a church that you can connect to and give you a biblical foundation to your theological ideals.
Finding the right church is critical for Christian growth. While I hope that you take some of my advice, make sure that you rely on God's guidance before making a choice. Dive into the church when you find it: become a member, join a small group and get to know the elders. You will find yourself in a strong Christian community and your soul will be much renewed.
Peace be with y'all!
Before we discuss these qualities, I think it's important to say that one should be thorough when choosing a church. Many of my mentors have advised me to just jump into a church and join it. However, I would like to respectfully disagree. Church membership is a serious commitment and those vows should only be taken when you know that you are 100% on board with the church. You can only find that out if have attended a church for a few months at the very least. I have been "church dating," if you will, for almost 3 years. This is mostly due to logistical issues, since I don't know where I'll be after I graduate, but there could be many valid reasons for delaying a commitment. Like real dating, it may take a few tries and a long time before you find "the one," but that's okay. It's better to wait on a good fit before rushing into a church you don't agree with.
The ideal structure of a church is hardly touched on in the Bible. If you define church as a meeting place between God and his people, then the minimum size of the church needs to be at least two people (Matthew 18:20). DO NOT choose a church based on size. The modern era of Christianity is ruled by the "mega-churches." New believers tend to flock to these large cathedrals for several reasons: remaining anonymous in the crowd, professional music, theatrical sermons, spectacle, etc. However, there is no correlation between quality and quantity. I grew up in a church that was lucky to have 50 people on Sundays, but I also attended a church in college with an average attendance around 500. I have been on both ends of the spectrum and I can confidently say that neither church was better than the other. They both had a loving congregation, a preacher that taught biblical truth and
a reliance on the Holy Spirit. The point is God blesses a small church as much as he does a large church.
Ideally, a church should be celebrating the Lord's supper. The practice of communion is not a symbolic way of remembrance, but rather a public proclamation of Jesus's death. Corinthians 11:23-26 makes this abundantly clear. As such, ALL Christians should take place in the meal. To neglect it would be neglect the gift of Jesus's death and resurrection. Some churches practice communion more than others, but if you find yourself in a "church" that doesn't break bread at all, get out ASAP.
Many people scoff at the idea of a church having a government, but it is necessary for two reasons: leadership and discipline. As with all organizations, strong leadership is necessary to stay together and prosper. In Paul's letter to Titus, he mentioned that the early church of Crete lacked leadership and needed to instill elders (Titus 1:5). The next few verses lay out what are the qualities that we should look for in an "overseer" or preacher (Titus 1:6-9). The requirements for deacons are mentioned in 1 Timothy 3:8-13. Paul's purpose in writing to Titus was to encourage believers to continue living for Christ in Crete, which was notorious for its sinful culture. Paul knew that strong leadership in church was necessary for believers to thrive in a world that contradicts everything that Christ taught. These passages are included in the Bible so that we can hold our church leaders to God's standard and ensure that the congregation will endure in modern culture. Discipline is a fruit of strong leadership. Many churches today avoid disciplining members for fear of losing attendance. However, a true church will point out the congregation's sins so that they can be brought to the foot of the Cross. Matthew 18:17 lays out this process. The members should look out for each other and if they do not listen to each other, then they should be brought before the church government. Sometimes, it takes getting rebuked to inspire change, but this should be done in a loving way. Discipline is not a means of proving oneself right and the other wrong, but a way to ensure that sin can be exposed so that sanctification can continue.
Ideally, a church should be celebrating the Lord's supper. The practice of communion is not a symbolic way of remembrance, but rather a public proclamation of Jesus's death. Corinthians 11:23-26 makes this abundantly clear. As such, ALL Christians should take place in the meal. To neglect it would be neglect the gift of Jesus's death and resurrection. Some churches practice communion more than others, but if you find yourself in a "church" that doesn't break bread at all, get out ASAP.
Many people scoff at the idea of a church having a government, but it is necessary for two reasons: leadership and discipline. As with all organizations, strong leadership is necessary to stay together and prosper. In Paul's letter to Titus, he mentioned that the early church of Crete lacked leadership and needed to instill elders (Titus 1:5). The next few verses lay out what are the qualities that we should look for in an "overseer" or preacher (Titus 1:6-9). The requirements for deacons are mentioned in 1 Timothy 3:8-13. Paul's purpose in writing to Titus was to encourage believers to continue living for Christ in Crete, which was notorious for its sinful culture. Paul knew that strong leadership in church was necessary for believers to thrive in a world that contradicts everything that Christ taught. These passages are included in the Bible so that we can hold our church leaders to God's standard and ensure that the congregation will endure in modern culture. Discipline is a fruit of strong leadership. Many churches today avoid disciplining members for fear of losing attendance. However, a true church will point out the congregation's sins so that they can be brought to the foot of the Cross. Matthew 18:17 lays out this process. The members should look out for each other and if they do not listen to each other, then they should be brought before the church government. Sometimes, it takes getting rebuked to inspire change, but this should be done in a loving way. Discipline is not a means of proving oneself right and the other wrong, but a way to ensure that sin can be exposed so that sanctification can continue.
Finally, and maybe most importantly, the church you choose should preach sound doctrine. Above all, if a church does not preach salvation through Christ alone, run as far as you can because it isn't a church. Beyond that, doctrine is pretty much just personal preference. However, this is where most "church hunters" get caught up. Each denomination has its own answers to questions due to its interpretation of the Bible. The best way one can sort through these is to look at the national stances that each church takes. Read your Bible and pray for God to guide you through the scripture so that you can have your own interpretation. This will allow you to find a church that you can connect to and give you a biblical foundation to your theological ideals.
Finding the right church is critical for Christian growth. While I hope that you take some of my advice, make sure that you rely on God's guidance before making a choice. Dive into the church when you find it: become a member, join a small group and get to know the elders. You will find yourself in a strong Christian community and your soul will be much renewed.
Peace be with y'all!
Comments
Post a Comment